Dairy products: good or bad for cardiometabolic disease?

Effect of soybean grain (Glycine max L.) supplementation on the production and fatty acid profile in milk of grazing cows in the dry tropics of Mexico

Improving the lipid profile in milk of cows with the use of soybean grain (Glycine max L.) can be favored in the grazing systems in the dry tropics of Mexico. The objective was to evaluate the milk production, the chemical composition, and the fatty acids profile (FAs) of the milk of cows in continuous grazing and supplemented with and without ground roasted soybean in the dry tropics of Mexico. Ten cows randomly distributed in two equal groups were used. Daily during confinement for milking, the cows individually received the treatments on dry basis T0: supplement with 4.6 kg commercial concentrate® without soybean, T1: supplement with 3.7 kg commercial concentrate® with 380 g of soybean. During the 78 days of the experiment, milk production was measured in all cows, and samples were collected to determine the chemical composition and FAs profile. Milk production, protein, milk total fat, lactose, and non-fat solids did not vary with treatment (p >0.05). Linoleic acid content (C18: 2, cis, cis-∆9, ∆12) increased by 22% in milk fat of cows of the T1 (p ˂0.05). The sum of the mono- and polyunsaturated FAs 29.1%, the ratio of saturated-unsaturated FAs (1.65), and the atherogenicity index (1.71) also improved in the milk of cows supplemented with T1 (p ˂0.05). It was concluded that ground roasted soybean supplement in the diet of grazing dairy cows did not affect production and did improve the lipid profile in milk fat with favorable index to promote human health.

NMR-Based Μetabolomics of the Lipid Fraction of Organic and Conventional Bovine Milk

Origin and quality identification in dairy products is an important issue and also an extremely challenging and complex experimental procedure. The objective of the present work was to compare the metabolite profile of the lipid fraction of organic and conventional bovine milk using NMR metabolomics analysis. ¹H-NMR and 1D TOCSY NMR methods of analysis were performed on extracted lipid fraction of lyophilized milk. For this purpose, 14 organic and 16 conventional retail milk samples were collected monthly, and 64 bulk-tank (58 conventional and 6 organics) milk samples were collected over a 14-month longitudinal study in Cyprus. Data were treated with multivariate methods (PCA, PLS-DA). Minor components were identified and quantified, and modification of the currently used equations is proposed. A significantly increased % content of conjugated (9-cis, 11-trans)18:2 linoleic acid (CLA), α-linolenic acid, linoleic acid, allylic protons and total unsaturated fatty acids (UFA) and decreased % content for caproleic acid were observed in the organic samples compared to the conventional ones. The present work confirms that lipid profile is affected by contrasting management system (organic vs. conventional), and supports the potential of NMR-based metabolomics for the rapid analysis and authentication of the milk from its lipid profile.

Dairy Fats and Cardiovascular Disease: Do We Really Need to be Concerned?

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) remain a major cause of death and morbidity globally and diet plays a crucial role in the disease prevention and pathology. The negative perception of dairy fats stems from the effort to reduce dietary saturated fatty acid (SFA) intake due to their association with increased cholesterol levels upon consumption and the increased risk of CVD development. Institutions that set dietary guidelines have approached dairy products with negative bias and used poor scientific data in the past. As a result, the consumption of dairy products was considered detrimental to our cardiovascular health. In western societies, dietary trends indicate that generally there is a reduction of full-fat dairy product consumption and increased low-fat dairy consumption. However, recent research and meta-analyses have demonstrated the benefits of full-fat dairy consumption, based on higher bioavailability of high-value nutrients and anti-inflammatory properties. In this review, the relationship between dairy consumption, cardiometabolic risk factors and the incidence of cardiovascular diseases are discussed. Functional dairy foods and the health implications of dairy alternatives are also considered. In general, evidence suggests that milk has a neutral effect on cardiovascular outcomes but fermented dairy products, such as yoghurt, kefir and cheese may have a positive or neutral effect. Particular focus is placed on the effects of the lipid content on cardiovascular health.

Cost–effectiveness analysis of endoscopic eradication therapy for treatment of high-grade dysplasia in Barrett’s esophagus

Aim: The aim was to evaluate the cost–effectiveness of endoscopic eradication therapy (EET) with combined endoscopic mucosal resection and radiofrequency ablation for the treatment of high-grade dysplasia (HGD) arising in patients with Barrett’s esophagus compared with endoscopic surveillance alone in the UK. Materials & methods: The cost–effectiveness model consisted of a decision tree and modified Markov model. A lifetime time horizon was adopted with the perspective of the UK healthcare system. Results: The base case analysis estimates that EET for the treatment of HGD is cost-effective at a GB£20,000 cost–effectiveness threshold compared with providing surveillance alone for HGD patients (incremental cost–effectiveness ratio: GB£1272). Conclusion: EET is likely to be a cost-effective treatment strategy compared with surveillance alone in patients with HGD arising in Barrett’s esophagus in the UK.